American Indians & The Old West -

My people honored me as a warrior. We had a feast and my parents and grandparents thanked everyone who prayed for my safe return. We had a "special" [dance] and I remembered as we circled the drum, I got a feeling of pride. I felt good inside because that's the way the Kiowa people tell you that you've done well.--Kiowa Vietnam Veteran

After I got home,my uncles sat me down and had me tell them what it [the war] was all about. One of them had been in the service in World War II and knew what war was like. We talked about what went on over there, about killing and the waste, and one of my uncles said that God's laws are against war. They never talked about those kinds of things with me before.--Cherokee Vietnam Vet

Real War Photos presents American Indians and the U.S. Military....

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American Indians have participated with distinction

in United States military actions for more than 200 years.

United States military service provides an outlet for young Native Americans to fulfill a cultural purpose rooted in tradition -- to fight and defend their homeland. Native Americans' courage, determination, and fighting spirit were recognized by American military leaders as early as the 18th century.

I think they [Indians] can be made of excellent use, as scouts and light troops. --Gen. George Washington, 1778

Many tribes were involved in the War of 1812, and Indians fought for both sides as auxiliary troops in the Civil War. The earliest recorded date of Native Americans becoming U.S. citizens was in 1831 when the MississippiChoctaw became citizens after the ratification of the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek. However, it wasn't until The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, that U.S. citizenship was granted entirely to America's indigenous peoples, called "Indians" in this Act.

Native Americans as Scouts...

Scouting the enemy was recognized as a particular skill of the Native American soldier. In 1866, the U.S. Army established its Indian Scouts to exploit this aptitude. The Scouts were active in the American West in the late 1800s and early 1900s, accompanying Gen. John J. Pershing's expedition to Mexico in pursuit of Pancho Villa in 1916. They were deactivated in 1947 when their last member retired from the Army in ceremonies at Ft. Huachuca, Arizona. Native Americans from Indian Territory were also recruited by Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders and saw action in Cuba in the Spanish-American War in 1898. As the military entered the 20th century, American Indians had already made a substantial contribution through military service and were on the brink of playing an even larger role.

Native Americans in WWI & WWII...

It is estimated that more than 12,000 American Indians served in the United States military in World War I. Aproximately 600 Oklahoma Indians, mostly Chotaw and Cherokee, were assigned to the 142nd Infantry of the 36th Texas-Oklahoma National Guard Division. The 142nd saw action in France and its soldiers were widely recognized for their contributions in battle. Four men from this unit were awarded the Croix de Guerre, while others received the Church War Cross for gallantry.

The outbreak of World War II brought American Indians warriors back to the battlefield in defense of their homeland. Although now eligible for the draft by virtue of the Snyder Act, which gave citizenship to American Indians in 1924, conscription alone does not account for the disproportionate number of Indians who joined the armed services. More than 44,000 American Indians, out of a total Native American population of less than 350,000, served with distinction between 1941 and 1945 in both European and Pacific theaters of war. Native American men and women on the home front also showed an intense desire to serve their country, and were an integral part of the war effort. More than 40,000 Indian people left their reservations to work in ordnance depots, factories, and other war industries. American Indians also invested more than $50 million in war bonds, and contributed generously to the Red Cross and the Army and Navy Relief societies.

Battle-experienced American Indian troops from World War II were joined by newly recruited Native Americans to fight Communist aggression during the Korean conflict. The Native American's strong sense of patriotism and courage emerged once again during the Vietnam era. More than 42,000 Native Americans, more than 90 percent of them volunteers, fought in Vietnam. Native American contributions in United States military combat continued in the 1980s and 1990s as they saw duty in Grenada, Panama, Somalia, and the Persian Gulf.

There were reportedly 190,00 Native American military veterans at the close of the 20th Century.

♠American Indians in WWI & II

I27221A - Lt. Ernest Childers, a Creek, being congratulated by Gen. Jacob L. Devers after receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor in Italy for wiping out two machine-gun nests. U.S. Army Signal Corps photograph, July 13, 1944 WWII activities. Photo courtesy of NARA.

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The Old West.....

The American Old West or "Wild West" encompasses both history and folk lore of the western United States. The period most referenced is the 19th century prior to and after the American Civil War. Through treaties with foreign nations and native peoples, political compromise, technological innovation, military conquest, establishment of law and order, and the great migrations of foreigners, the United States expanded from coast to coast, fulfilling its belief in Manifest Destiny. In securing and managing the West, the federal government expanded its powers. The nation grew from an agrarian society to an industrialized nation. First promoting settlement and exploitation of the land. By the end of the 19th century the federal government became a 'steward' of the remaining open spaces. As the American Old West passed into history, the myths of the West took firm hold in the imagination of Americans and foreigners alike.

Old WestW25575 - Column of Cavalry, artillery and wagons commanded by General George A. Custer, crossing the plains of Dakota Territory. By W.H.Illingworth, 1874 Black Hills Expedition.Photo courtesy of NARA.

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OUR THANKS GOES OUT TO... THE KIDS IN THE HISTORY CLUB - COLORADO AND TEACHER CHRISTINA N. FOR CONTRIBUTING A GREAT RESOURCE FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT MORE ABOUT THE UNITED STATES WILD WEST.